Daily news summary
Twenty Syrian students to study at Czech universities as of November
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has met with four out of twenty Syrian students, who are set to study at Czech universities, during his two-day visit to Jordan. The costs of their five-year-long fellowhips will be covered by the Czech government. The first young Syrians, whose families had to flee their country to Jordan due to the civil war, should arrive in the Czech Republic in November. Among the subject of their studies will be economy, civil engineering and hotel management.
President Zeman: most refugees not worthy of our compassion
President Miloš Zeman said on Sunday that most refugees were not worthy of our compassion, because they were mostly healthy and well-off young men. In an interview for the tabloid Blesk on Sunday, the Czech head of state said most refugees were using children as a shield. He also said that he wasn′t against the idea of his predecessor Václav Klaus to hold a referendum on the EU quota on distribution of migrants. Mr Zeman has also repeatdely rejected the UN Human Rights Commissioner′s criticism of the Czech government for systematically violating the human rights of migrants.
Prime Minister Sobotka offers to help Jordan with refugee crisis
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who is on a two-day visit to Jordan, has held talks with his counterpart Abdullah Ensour and with the country′s King Abdullah II. During his meeting with Jordan′s king on Sunday, the Czech Prime Minister said the Czech Republic could donate the country over 100 million crowns to assist them dealing with the migration crisis. He said the Czech Republic could also provide medical assistance within the Medevac programme as well as military training. The political leaders have also discussed the recent escalating violence between Israel and Palestine. Mr Sobotka is also scheduled to visit the Zaatari refugee camp, housing 80,000 people, that the Czech Republic has helped to equip and finance.
Tomáš Berdych defends title at Stockholm Open
Czech tennis player Tomáš Berdych has succesfully defended his title against Jack Stock of the US at the Stockholm Open and clinched his second title of this season and twelfth ATP title of his career. The top-seeded Czech defated Sock 7-6, 6-2 in just 85 minutes without losing a single set. The 30-year-old Czech has won in Stockholm for the third time in the past four years.
Transport ministry plans to increase traffic fines
The Ministry of Transport is planning to increase fines for certain traffic offences, transport minister Dan Ťok said in a live debate on prima television on Sunday. He said that the maximum fine for exceeding the speed in municipalities could increase from current 10,000 to 25,000 crowns and the drivers coud get six insted of five penal points out of a total of 12. One of the main reasons behind the planned move was an increasing number of road fatalities. According to statistics, around 700 people die on Czech roads every year.
Czech humanitarian aid convoy arrived in Balkan states
The Czech interior and foreign affairs ministries have organised three convoys to help refugees stranded in the Balkan states. The first two trucks with humanitarian aid supplies, including heated tents, folding beds and blankets, arrived in Slovenia and Croatia over the course of Friday and Saturday. The last truck is set to depart from Prague to Macedonia's Tabanovce on Monday.
Nearly 50 percent of Czech drivers use mobile phones while driving
Nearly half of Czech drivers, 47 percent, use their mobile phones while driving, suggests a survey carried out by the transport ministry's Road Safety Department BESIP and SAZKAmobil organization. Over 90 percent of them use their phones for calling, some 50 percent use it as a navigation and 42 percent use it for sending text messages. According to BESIP experts, texting increases 23 times the chance of an accident. The use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited in the Czech Republic.
